WORK FOR THE COMING MONTH.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 5, 20 May 1919, Page 299

WORK FOR THE COMING MONTH.

THE ORCHARD.

By the end of May the stone-fruits will have dropped their leaves and assumed their winter condition. This is a very important season in the stone-fruit section of the orchard for the control of brown-rot. All possible and probable sources by which infection is carried over to the spring should be removed. An early opportunity should be taken to destroy all mummified fruits, whether they are on the ground or still attached to the tree. Neglect of this simple precaution is only encouraging early infection in the spring. In addition, all primings should be gathered up and destroyed.

While on the subject of diseases, growers are reminded to keep a sharp lookout for San Jose scale in their orchards. It not only infects the stone- and pip-fruit section, but can often be found attacking the small fruits. Where it is discovered or known to exist an oil or strong lime-sulphur spray should be put on at once. It is one of the scale pests that is active in the dormant season, and when in sufficient numbers it will considerably reduce the vitality of the tree. Though it is a most prolific breeder it is one of the easiest scales to control, and one thorough application is usually sufficient, although two sprayings are advisable to make certain that it is completely eradicated.

Pruning is recognized as the principal winter operation in the orchard. Although the pruning of peaches and nectarines that suffer from die-back and bud-drop would be better delayed until later on in the. winter or early spring a start can be made pruning those fruits any time after these notes appear. In dealing with peaches and nectarines which produce their fruit on one-year-old wood provision must be made, when pruning, not only for a good crop of fruit, but also for a sufficient supply of new wood for the succeeding season. The way to bring about these ideal results, so far as pruning is concerned, is rather difficult to indicate" except in a special article. Speaking generally, they are attained by cutting out as much of the twoand three-year-old wood as possible, and by proportionately reducing the fruit-bearing wood over the whole tree. In the warmer districts the average variety of peach and nectarine crops much freer and more consistently when the fruit-bearing lateral is left full length or only slightly reduced. Some varieties produce good crops no matter how the fruiting laterals are treated, but with shy bearers and varieties that suffer from bud-drop or die-back the long untipped lateral is recommended for fruit-production. No matter what method of treating the fruiting laterals is adopted, fully one-third to one-half of the fruitbearing wood should be removed so as to ensure that the tree'will make sufficient wood for the succeeding season. Keep the centres of the trees well open ; it will pay to do so.

Other matters of detail are fully dealt with ■ in the district notes which follow.— Gordon Esam, Acting Assistant Director of the Horticulture Division.

AUCKLAND

June month may perhaps be regarded as the slackest time for the orchardist, but growers of stone-fruit who are anxious to get. other work well in hand may proceed with the pruning operations. Any draining-work that requires to be done should be attended to this month. Work among shelter-trees which require trimming, or temporary belts which require thinning out or lopping, may be carried out before the rush of pruning and winter spraying comes. In cases where the preparation of land for planting is yet undone, and weather conditions permit, opportunity should be taken of putting this work through. Autumn ploughing in the orchard should now be completed. If any repairs are needed to glasshouses or sheds, these should not be overlooked whilst there is a general slackness in the more important work. Replenish stocks of spraying-materials and manures, and overhaul sprayers.

—J. W. Collard, Orchard Instructor, Auckland

HAWKE'S BAY

The pruning of stone-fruit trees should be pushed ' on, and whatever system of pruning is adopted it is important that the fruit-bearing wood be properly spaced so as to ensure the even distribution of fruit and prevent dense clusters of fruit. Fruit on overlapping laterals can cause just as much overcrowding as unthinned fruits, and in consequence increases its susceptibility to brown-rot. Bearing trees that have not furnished well with lateral growth should have the leaders well cut back to a strong lateral, which should be left uncut. This will have the effect of promoting growth in more desirable positions on the tree. Pruning of pip-fruits will follow, and when the various varieties are ready every opportunity should be taken to get on with this work. A lot of work has to be carried out during 'the dormant period, and anything which can be done now will ease the rush of work later in the season. • . Where the land has been properly prepared planting can now be done. Under no circumstances should trees be planted when the land is saturated with moisture, and if trees come to hand at such a time they should be heeled in until the ground is in a fit condition. Established young trees often develop woolly aphis on important parts of the tree. The most satisfactory way to deal with these colonies is to paint with a stiff brush with warm oil, i—i. ' Stone-fruits may be sprayed as follows : Bordeaux, 8-6-40, for die-back and fungoid diseases ; lime-sulphur, 1-15, for San Jose scale and fungoid diseases ; oil, 1-17, for San Jose scale and red mite ; oil, 1-25, for woolly aphis on pip-fruits at fall of leaf. W. H. Rice, Orchard- Instructor, Hastings.

NELSON

Pruning : This operation is one of the important factors in securing a vigorous and fruitful condition in the orchard. Besides the well-known principles of pruning the local conditions must be considered — quality of the land and the variety of fruit-tree to be operated on and its present condition; also a definite objective is required. Best results are obtained only after carefully considering these points. Beginners may be reminded that the art of pruning is only mastered by practice. As always, avoid extremes —the over-vigorous tree, the stunted tree, the straggling tree, and the tree that is crowded and over-furnished with branches, or, what used to be very common, bare barren branches about the base of the tree with a heavy crowded top. It is for the pruner, chiefly, to correct these conditions and establish a thrifty fruitful state. The pruning of bush fruits should not be omitted. Some plantations of gooseberries and currants would give 100 per cent, better results with proper pruning.

Planting : In a commercial orchard the importance of planting the right varieties of fruit-trees is very great. What the land will grow best and what the market demands are the chief indications of what to plant. Inside these limits personal preference and skill may be considered. After deciding on the plantinglist it is worth going to some trouble to get the right class of tree. ’ It should be neatly “worked,” with rather strong well-ripened wood and strong root-system

of a stock of good repute. A tree of this type will keep these characteristics as long as it stands in the ground. In planting it is usual to gridiron the rows in at least twos or fours— i.e., plant several rows of one variety, then several of another — for the sake of pollination. Shelter : One of the advantages of Nelson as a fruitgrowing district is its relative immunity from heavy winds. Even so, however, on level country and in certain localities ample shelter should be provided. There is no comparison between trees suffering from windage and those enjoying protection. A shelter plantation or hedge is a cheap and easy advantage ; it is an insurance against loss by winds, which may easily do great damage amongst heavily loaded trees. —W. C. Hyde, Orchard Instructor, Nelson.

CANTERBURY

During the month of June the dormant season's work in the orchard will be commenced. The keynote to success in these operations is thoroughness. A start will be made with the pruning of the various classes of trees, preparatory to spraying. When pruning, care should be taken to cut away all diseased and dead branches and twigs, and if large cuts are made it is advisable to paint the surface of the cuts for the prevention of disease. After pruning see that the orchard is thoroughly cleaned up and all primings destroyed ; plough under all dead leaves and fruit. Shelter belts and hedges round the orchard should receive some attention at this time of the year. If only planted a short time, give them a good pruning to induce stronger growth the following season. ■ In some cases, especially with poplars which have grown to a considerable height, a good topping will be beneficial. Drainage, if 'not attended to earlier, should also receive attention. Too much importance cannot be attached to thorough drainage of the orchard, not only to take off the surface —thus making cultivation much easier and betterhut for the prevention of fungus disease on the roots of the trees. Where it is intended to spray twice for red mite, woolly aphis, and scale, the first application of red oil, at a strength of 1-8, should be given, using as strong a pressure as possible, driving the spray into all the crevices, so that no part of the tree will be missed. For fungus diseases, especially on the pear and peach, a pure bluestone spray at a strength of 1--10 or 12 has been found very effective in this district at this time of the year,, and is strongly recommended. If pure bluestone is not used, bordeaux, 8—6—40, is recommended during the dormant season. —G. Stratford, Orchard Instructor, Christchurch.

OTAGO

Pruning will be the main work during the latter part of May and through June, and will take up the greater part of the orchardist's time. At the same time the trees that it is desired to regraft should be marked off. Scions for this purpose can be left on selected trees till about the end of July, and then kept heeled in a shady place till required. Spraying for scale insects, red mite, aphis, &c., can be delayed till later. The oil sprays for this work do better when applied during the warmer days, the spray penetrating much better into the cracks and crevices ; also the scaly coverings begin to relax somewhat with the advent of spring. Spraying for fungus diseases, such as peach-curl, shothole, and black-spot, should also be left till the early spring, but, as stated in last month's notes, an additional application of bordeaux is worth while for rust and die-back where prevalent. Where leaf-curl has been bad the previous season on susceptible varieties the application is also advisable. It should pay this season to market late apples judiciously ; prices are likely to be good. Pack and grade well, and market the varieties as they mature. Enough attention is not paid to this matter ; higher returns could often be obtained if this were done. For weeks past shop-windows have been full of practically green Delicious which would fetch , more money in the markets later, and their presence tends to reduce the value of other mid-season varieties. In the windows at the present time can also be seen Sturmer Pippins. These cannot possibly command the price they will later on, and must reduce the price of other varieties that require to be disposed of at this time. : For cool-storing purposes select the best sizes do not store extra-large fruit and fruit off young trees. Use special care in packing, wrap fruit for long distances, and do not include fruit with broken skins from any cause whatever. Upon these points, combined with care at the cool store and even temperature, depends the whole success of the cool storing of fruit. .

J.H. Thorp,

Orchard Instructor, Dunedin.